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What's Up, Up Here? November 2-8, 2012

Snowfall forecast? We go with Kittregde/P3/Chevron/Hertz prognosticator Tom Cage, here for more than three decades, who predicts 73 percent of normal, which isn’t great, but not bad. “It’s strictly a gut feeling,” sez he. Reason for reasonable optimism? “At least it didn’t snow in September; that’s the kiss of death.” …

You get old enough around here, say the Q-Tips, that you get to be a veteran of Veterans Daycelebrations. This year will be a doozy, promises the ubiquitous Rich Boccia, who is pushing the Nov. 12 eventlike mad, with a 9 a.m. breakfast, a 10 a.m. ceremony and an 11 a.m. closing at Fire Station 1. And yeah, yeah, we know Veterans Dayis actually on Sunday, Nov. 11, but who in their right mind would give up an NFL Sundayto merely honor the men and women who put themselves in harm’s way so that we can watch football, guilt-free? …

Hurricane update: John Urdi and his bride-to-be Nora were married in New England in the fall of 2003, right when Hurricane Isabelwas ready to pounce, which is why their daughter Bryn’s middle name is Isabel. “She lives up to her name on a regular basis,” sez the Tourism Chief. …

Dave Talsky’sclimbing gym is built and open at the Industrial Park. Check with Dave at Mammoth Mountaineeringfor entry rules, fees, etc. etc.

After a quick glance around the ski shops, we say “Rock On!” as in rocker skis. And with the pricesway up there in the stratosphere, we wonder: “Is the ski quiverdead, to be replaced by one pair of all-mountains and Fat Boy rentalsfor the pow days? …

Here’s the optimistic dim view of baseball from Way Down South, courtesy of Mammoth distance runner Josh Cox: “For the second time in three years, the Padresare part of the division that wins the World Series!” It ain’t much, but it’ll get ‘em through the winter down San Diego way. …

Still on the sporting beat, it’s been over 30 yearssince someone has won a Giant Slalomrace by 2.75 seconds, as Ted Ligety (USA) did last Sunday in Soelden. Tweets the Tedster: “Wow. I don’t know what to say.” …

Last Sunday also was National Chocolate Day. Honest-to-God, we didn’t know but wish we had. …

THIS Sunday,meanwhile,is the time switch. Turn yer clocks back an hour and enjoy that extra hour of sleep. Should be a national holiday for the get-up-early crowd, who yield their hour of daylight each year to the golfers. …

Is there a more thankless job than to be a Southern California Edison hard-hatterwho turns off your power during the weekday? But they gotta replace those transformersbefore the Big Winter, so we say, “Damn You! And Thank You!” All in the same breath. …

The work crews in Mono County and the Town of Mammoth Lakeshave signed up with BasicGov, a web-based cloud computing utility to help track times on projects in the name of greater efficiency. Nate Greenbergis leading the charge. How well will it work? As the old Zen Mastersez, “We’ll see.” …

A tip o’ the hat to the Rite Aiders, who made their Grand Re-Openingreally grand. Imagine: a drug store that is browser-friendly! …

Just for the heck of it: David Stern. …

Émile Allais, the dazzling French skierwho invented modern skiing by teaching the parallel style, died Oct. 17 in Sallanches, in the French Alps. He was 100. Jean-Claude Killy, the French skier who dominated the sport in the late 1960s, called him “the father of modern skiing.”He was the first ski school instructor at Squaw Valley and a teacher in Sun Valley, where he taught skiing to, among others, movie producer Darryl F. Zanuck, Brigitte Bardotand Cary Grant. Our Man Warren Millerholds forth on Allaisfurther back in the paper. A heartfelt RIP. …

New GoProcameras are rolling out soon, says the ever-knowledgeable TKat Footloose Sports, so get ready for the accessories deluge. Lotsa retailers around town have plenty of older accessories (mounts, etc.) that just won’t work with yer new rig. …

The indefatigable Kathy Copelandsez the band at this year’s Island Extravaganzawill be Gator Beat. The Best Party of the Year, which supports Eastern Sierra Disabled Sports, is slated for Dec. 8 at Canyon Lodgeand the band is no stranger to Ken and Flossie Coulter, who turned on Mammothto Gator Beat ages ago at Jazz Jubilee. Last year the Extravaganza featured a rockin’ reggae band from Santa Barbaraand they were great, but it got it bit too smoky (a-hem) for thehoi polloi.